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Emhlabathini EMalitha
1 Sathi sesiphephile safika emhlabathini, sezwa ukuthi isihlenge leso sasithiwa yiMalitha. 2 Abantu bakhona basiphatha ngomusa ongajayelekanga. Basemukela kuhle sonke, basibasela umlilo wekhanka ngoba izulu lalisina njalo kumakhaza. 3 UPhawuli watheza umnyaba wenkuni, wathi ebasela kwaphuma inhlangwana isixotshwa ngumlilo yahle yamthandela esandleni. 4 Abahlali besihlengeni bathi bebona inyoka ilenga esandleni sakhe bakhulumisana besithi, “Indoda le iyisigebenga; ngoba loba isindile olwandle, unkulunkulukazi uKulunga kayivumelanga ukuthi iphile.” 5 Kodwa uPhawuli wayithintitha inyoka wayilabhulela emlilweni yena akaze alimala lakancane. 6 Abantu babelinde okwesikhathi eside bengaboni lutho olubi lusenzakala kuye, baguqula imicabango yabo basebesithi ungunkulunkulu.
7 Eduze kwalapho kwakulepulazi likaPhabhiliyasi, owayeyisikhulu esiphethe isihlenge. Wasemukela ngesihle emzini wakhe, wasihlalisa khona okwensuku ezintathu esiphethe kuhle. 8 Uyise wayegula elele phansi ephethwe luqhuqho lesihudo. UPhawuli wayambona, kwathi esekhulekile, wambeka izandla wamsilisa. 9 Kwathi sekwenzakele lokhu, bonke abagulayo esihlengeni beza basiliswa. 10 Basidumisa ngezipho ezinengi, kwasekusithi sesilungela ukuwela basilungisela umphako owaneleyo.
Ukufika ERoma
11 Ngemva kwezinyanga ezintathu sangena olwandle sigade umkhumbi owawuchithe ubusika khona lapho. Wawungumkhumbi wase-Alekizandriya owawulophawu lwamakhanda amaphahla abonkulunkulu uKhasto loPholukhi. 12 Sakhuphukela eSirakhusi sahlala khona okwensuku ezintathu. 13 Sesisuka lapho sawela sayafika eRegiyumi. Ngakusasa kwaphephetha umoya weningizimu, kwathi ngelanga elilandelayo sayafika ePhuthewoli. 14 Lapho safumana abazalwane abasicela ukuthi sihlale khona okweviki silabo. Sasesifika eRoma. 15 Abazalwane balapho basebezwile ukuthi siyeza, ngakho bahamba baze bayafika eNkundleni yase-Aphiya laseziNkantini eziNtathu besihlangabeza. Wathi ebabona lababantu uPhawuli wabonga uNkulunkulu njalo waqiniswa. 16 Sithe sesifikile eRoma, uPhawuli wavunyelwa ukuhlala yedwa, elindwe ngelilodwa ibutho.
UPhawuli Utshumayela ERoma Elindiwe
17 Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu uPhawuli wabiza abakhokheli bamaJuda. Bathi sebehlangene wathi kubo, “Bazalwane bami, loba ngingenzanga lutho olubi ebantwini bakithi kumbe olwephula imikhuba yabokhokho bethu, ngabotshwa eJerusalema nganikelwa kwabaseRoma. 18 Wona esengihlolile afisa ukungikhulula ngoba ngangingelacala loba elakuphi ukuganga okwakungafanela ukufa. 19 Kodwa kwathi ngoba amaJuda ekwala lokho ngabona sekufanele ukuthi ngikhalaze kuKhesari; kungayisikho ukuthi ngasengimangalela abantu bakithi. 20 Ngalesisizatho ngicelile ukuthi ngilibone, ngikhulume lani. Kungenxa yethemba lika-Israyeli okwenza ngibotshwe ngale iketane.”
21 Baphendula bathi, “Kasitholanga zincwadi ezivela eJudiya mayelana lawe, njalo kakho umzalwane ovela khonale oke wabika kumbe wakhuluma ulutho olubi ngawe. 22 Kodwa sifuna ukuzwa imibono yakho, ngoba siyakwazi ukuthi ezindaweni zonke abantu bakhuluma kubi ngaloluhlelo lwenkolo.”
23 Balungiselela ukuhlangana loPhawuli ngelanga elithile elalibekiwe, njalo kweza abantu abanengi endaweni ayehlala kuyo. Kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba ntambama echaza umbuso kaNkulunkulu njalo efakaza ngokuseMthethweni kaMosi lakubaPhrofethi. Wazama njalo ukubazisa ngoJesu 24 Abanye basuthiseka ngalokhu ayekutsho, kodwa abanye kabazange bakholwe. 25 Baphikisana bona bodwa basebesuka ngemva kokuba uPhawuli esephethe inkulumo yakhe ngokuthi, “Nxa uMoya oNgcwele wakhuluma iqiniso kubokhokho benu aze ukhulume ngomphrofethi u-Isaya ukuthi:
26 ‘Hamba kulababantu uyekuthi,
“Lizahlala lisizwa kokuphela, kodwa lingaqedisisi;
lizahlala libona kokuphela kodwa lingabonisisi.”
27 Ngoba inhliziyo yalababantu isibuthundu;
kabasezwa ngezindlebe zabo,
njalo sebevale amehlo abo;
ngoba bangaqabuka bebona ngamehlo abo,
bezwe ngezindlebe zabo,
baqedisise ngezinhliziyo zabo,
baphenduke, lami ngibasilise.’*
28 Ngakho ngithanda ukuthi lazi ukuba insindiso kaNkulunkulu isithunyelwe kwabeZizwe, njalo bona bazalalela!” [ 29 Ngemva kwalokhu, amaJuda asuka, ephikisana wodwa kakhulu.]†
30 UPhawuli wahlala khona okweminyaka emibili egcweleyo, ehlala endlini yakhe ayeloje kuyo, njalo esemukela ngesihle bonke ababesiza bezombona. 31 Watshumayela ngombuso kaNkulunkulu, wafundisa ngeNkosi uJesu Khristu ngesibindi njalo engaphazanyiswa muntu.
* 28:27 U-Isaya 6.9-10 † 28:29 Livesi kayikho kwamanye amaBhayibhili esiLungu.